The Magnificent Seven | All The Tropes Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia All The Tropes Wiki Note: This is about the film. For the ensemble/plot, see The Magnificent Seven Samurai . Vin: I guess right about now you kinda wish you'd given your crops to Calvera, huh? Hilario: Yes. And no. Both at the same time. Yes, when I think of what he might do. No, when I remember the feeling in my chest this morning as I saw him running away -- from us. That's a feeling worth dying for. Have you ever... felt something like that? Vin: Not for a long, long time. I, uh, I envy you. Mexican villagers, plagued by a band of bandits, send a few of their number north to the border, to buy guns so they can defend themselves. They end up hiring seven gunmen to help them instead. The Magnificent Seven is a western retelling (in both senses of the term) of The Seven Samurai (with a brilliant and memorable score , to boot). This film has so much testosterone that a girl risks getting pregnant just by watching it . It is widely considered one of the last great westerns.

Tropes used in The Magnificent Seven include: Accidental Aiming Skills -- Britt kills a bandit fleeing on horseback with a single rifle shot from a long distance. When Chico praises it as the best shot he's ever seen, Britt replies that it was the worst - he was aiming for the horse. Also subverted, because the reason that he was aiming at the horse is that they wanted to take one of the bandits alive so they could question him about how strong the bandit force really was. Action Film Quiet Drama Scene -- Vin and Hilario having the page quote conversation in the middle of a firefight. Also Lee's scene in which he wakes from a nightmare and talks about losing his nerve. Adaptation Distillation -- Akira Kurosawa was so pleased with the result, he gave the director, John Sturges, a samurai sword. Adaptation Expansion -- Regarding Calvera, given that the bandits' leader is given zero characterization in Seven Samurai , and only gets about five minutes of total screen time. Affably Evil -- Calvera. Although maybe Faux Affably Evil , its hard to tell.

All-Star Cast -- Quite possibly the coolest in the history of cinema: Yul Brynner , Steve McQueen , Charles Bronson , Robert Vaughn , James Coburn , Brad Dexter, and Horst Buchholz are the Seven, and at least five of them went on to become A-list stars, in part thanks to this movie. ( Eli Wallach is no-one to sneeze at, either.) Horst Bucholz didn't become an A-list star in America, but he did become exceptionally popular in European cinema, meaning poor Brad Dexter was the only member of the main cast who didn't become a big star in some way. Anyone Can Die -- It's a western based on a movie by Akira Kurosawa . What'd you expect? Boomerang Bigot -- Chico really hates farmers. This is directly taken from The Seven Samurai film from which The Magnificent Seven was based. There it explains why the seventh member tries so hard to be a Samurai, constantly boasting and showing off before tearfully admitting he came from a family of selfish farmers. Call to Agriculture -- Chico, in spite of explicitly stating in an earlier scene that he had no intention of settling down.

Catapult Nightmare -- Lee scrambles across the room in a panic when he awakens from a nightmare. Changed My Mind, Kid -- A couple of times during the Avengers Assemble section, but the best example of the trope is Harry returning for the Final Battle . Chekhov's Gun -- Subverted with Britt's knife-throwing. In the final gunfight he draws the blade -- and is killed before he can throw it. Composite Character -- Chico, whose character combines those of Katsushiro and Kikuchiyo from the original film. The Notable Numeral -- Guess which? Pyrrhic Victory -- Lampshaded, as with the original film, with the whole "only the farmers won" speech. The Quiet One -- Two of them. James Coburn's character 'Britt' (the knife-thrower), with 11 lines total during the 128 minute-long film; and Robert Vaughn's 'Lee' (the gambler), who has a whopping 16 lines. Britt's lines also tend to be short. In his introductory scene , he only speaks five words. Rated "M" for Manly -- It's a very macho movie, in a good sense.

Redemption Equals Death -- Played straight with both Lee and Harry. Lee, who has been struggling with his cowardice throughout the whole movie, is shot to death five seconds after saving a group of villagers. Harry dies saving a cornered Chris from being killed. Spared by the Adaptation -- The Village Elder, who died in Kurosawa's film. Chico is half an example, as a Composite Character of Kikuchiyo (who died) and Katsushiro (who survived). The Stoic -- Britt. Also Chris to some extent. You could make an argument for everyone (except Chico). The point being that everyone else on the crew has seen so much in their day it takes a lot to make them shocked, surprised, hurt, etc. Stop Helping Me! -- Bernardo's Instant Fanclub follow him everywhere trying to be useful; in the end they get him killed when they distract him during a gunfight.

The Magnificent Seven Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 128 out of 152 people found the following review useful: About as good as remakes get from Washington, DC 18 October 2004 I recently subjected "The Magnificent Seven" to just about the toughest test imaginable--I watched it just a few days after "Seven Samurai." And while I'm not going to pretend it's on par with Kurosawa's astounding masterpiece, I have to tip my hat to Hollywood on this one: it's good, DAMN good, among the best American Westerns. The focus of the screenplay is more on post-Bogart-pre-Eastwood cool banter than the gradual, taciturn character development of "Seven Samurai," but that doesn't mean that the film doesn't have a heart. Considering it clocks in at barely over two hours (compared to the marathonic three and a half of "Samurai"), it actually does a fantastic and very economical job of fleshing out its memorable cast of characters.

One particularly wonderful scene that stuck in my memory from the first time I saw the film ten years ago is the one where Lee (Robert Vaughn), drunk in the middle of the night, confesses his frailties and fear to two of the farmers. The scene (along with the general story of these down-and-out heroes) was groundbreaking in that it began the deconstruction and deromanticization of the Western hero which would be brought to fruition in Sergio Leone's unparalleled spaghetti Westerns. The star-studded cast wouldn't hold up doing Shakespeare, but they're ideal in this gunslinging, cool-talking tough-guy adventure. As if a lineup of heroes that included Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn wasn't enough, Eli Wallach steals the show as the Mexican bandit chief, a worthy precursor to his classic role "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." If the screenplay has a major flaw, it's that his character isn't featured more. The score is, of course, one of the all-time classics.

And while not as alive visually as the Japanese film that inspired it or the Italian Westerns it influenced, it's still mighty fine to look at, and the gunfights don't disappoint. The pieces add up to one of the great entertaining films of all time, which still manages to be moving and morally aware despite its Hollywoodization of Kurosawa's vision. Was the above review useful to you? 86 out of 110 people found the following review useful: Top drawer production from Cincinnati, OH 25 April 2003 What could have been a fairly routine western is lifted into the realm of classic thanks to some smart casting, sturdy direction and a rousing music score. A reworking of Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai", the story concerns a Mexican village which is constantly pillaged by bandit Wallach and his small army of followers. Three of the villagers hire a mix of gunslingers to come back to protect and defend the town and rid it of the oppressors. Brynner leads the group (seven in total, hence the title) as they teach the farmers how to use a gun and prepare the town for the eventual onslaught from Wallach.

The already tough odds are lengthened when some of the villagers begin to lose faith in the power of the seven. Brynner is solid in the lead role (though, unfortunately, his later role in "Westworld" adds an odd shading to his character here.) He, McQueen and Coburn define the word cool as they go about their various exploits before and after they join forces. McQueen and Coburn are men of few words, but of fierce actions when necessary. Bronson (rather young and handsome, though still a little craggy looking) does his best with a pretty mushy storyline involving the youth of the village. Buchholz overacts feverishly as a determined, but inexperienced youth. Vaughn seems a tad out of place and has one major ham moment during a nightmare. Dexter (easily the most often forgotten member of the group) has a few moments, but his character is not particularly defined. Wallach excels in the showy role of the chief bandit. His brash performance is a great counterpoint to the more steely and solemn title gunmen. The villagers come off as hapless and pitiful, for the most part.

Along the way, there are several memorable vignettes that showcase the charm of the actors involved. The casting director did an almost miraculous job of using known stars and picking supporting actors who would soon be just as big so that the film now has virtually an all-star cast. The biggest shot in the arm of all is the monumental score by Elmer Bernstein. The instantly recognizable title music is just one of the many great pieces he created for the film. The sometimes laconic story is carried a long way by his score. The concept of disparate characters being brought together for a common cause has been done many times, but rarely with this level of quality. It's sometimes hard to believe that the film was made in 1960 as its look, content and cast make it seem like a later film. It was definitely a touchstone in the development of the western film. Was the above review useful to you? 73 out of 90 people found the following review useful: Yul Is Cool! from United States 26 April 2006 This is considered one of the all-time great westerns: a real classic, and I can't argue.

I've seen a number of faster-moving and better westerns but few with a cast this good that's still entertaining. I never get tired of seeing the stars in this movie. How often are actors like Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and Eli Wallach boring.....or all in the same movie? Not too often. Throw in Robert Vaughn and Horst Buchholz and you have a memorable cast. As "cool" as McQueen was in his day, in this film Brynner was the "coolest" guy. Just the intense look on his face with those piercing eyes and deep voice command attention whenever he's on screen. Meanwhile, nobody but nobody played a Mexican villain better than Wallach. The "good guys" in this classic movie are all professional killers and show their human side by admitting their weaknesses and the emptiness of their profession. No one says it better here than Bronson, who gives a couple of very powerful "sermons" to some young boys. A solid western and a pretty famous theme song, too! It's also another good example of showing some real tough guys who can be convincing without profanity. Can you imagine the dialog if this film was re-made today?!

Was the above review useful to you? 76 out of 101 people found the following review useful: A relic of a bygone era, and a good one at that... from Southern Hemisphere 2 October 2004 Based somewhat faithfully on the Akira Kurosawa classic Shichinin no samurai, The Magnificent Seven could be mistaken for just another of the many Westerns that were turned out in Hollywood during this era. But there is a certain something that keeps The Magnificent Seven unique. Part of it is the concept borrowed from the earlier Japanese film, but some of it lies in the attitude of the seven mercenaries referred to in the title. Much is made here of the difference between fighting for money, fighting for justice, or fighting for a future. While this version of Kurosawa's epic contains all the philosophical leanings of the original, it isn't nearly as long-winded or languid. The downside to this is that it isn't nearly as moody or powerful. In fact, one can easily see the difference between American and foreign cinema simply by comparing Shichinin no samurai with The Magnificent Seven. One is incredibly dark and downbeat most of the time.

The other mostly has a score that is so major it wouldn't sound out of place in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. Differences in feeling aside, the ultimate question is whether this version of the story manages to entertain. The hardest challenge any film faces is keeping the audience amused while all the exposition is laid out. Here, the exposition is kept to a minimum while carefully inserted between some fast-paced, albeit very mild action sequences. Sometimes, the dialogue ("We deal in lead, friend.") gets incredibly stilted. Sometimes, it seems incredibly wise. Well, since we have examples of films where it's all stilted, all the time, we can forgive this one. The film also includes several textbook examples of how to include a sudden plot element without seeming contrived. When we learn why Calvera's men just won't go away, it needs no setup simply because it is consistent with their behaviour throughout the rest of the film. In the end, The Magnificent Seven comes off as an excellent remake of a masterpiece. There are better Westerns out there, and there are better action films, but there aren't many. I gave it a nine out of ten.

Go in expecting to be entertained, but little more, and you cannot go wrong. Was the above review useful to you? 62 out of 75 people found the following review useful: A richly enjoyable Western with a terrific Oscar-Nominated Musical Score... 3 October 1999 *** This review may contain spoilers *** John Sturges acquires a reputation as a solid director of superior Westerns filled with tense action scenes such as: "Escape From Fort Bravo," "Bad Day at Black Rock," "Backlash," "Gunfight At The O.K. Corral," "The Law and Jack Wade," "The Last Train From Gun Hill," "Sergeant Three," "The Hallelujah Trail," and one of the best of all Wyatt Earp movies, "Hour of the Gun." He succeeds in one of the most exhilarating opening sequences of all Western movies, when he had McQueen and Brynner riding a hearse up legendary Boot Hill creating a mood and peril that never allow the slightest degree of viewer confusion or ennui... For Sturges, the West is a man's world, and his cool, hard, detached style, emphasizing action, excitement and the rugged environment of the frontier, endorses the point...

"The Magnificent Seven" is derived from Kurosawa's superb "The Seven Samurai," a compelling tale of intimidated and impoverished medieval villagers hiring mercenary warriors to repel bandit ravages... The villagers in this case are Mexicans, plagued beyond all bearing by the activities of bandit Calavera, who always leaves them on tortillas and few beans... Three of them cross the border to offer meager pay and sustenance for any professionally skilled fighting men who will aid them... Yul Brynner is the man, dressed in black, with the luminous dome and the hypnotic Mongolian eyes who portrays the distinctive Chris Adams leader of the seven hired gunmen hired to chase some 'flies from a little Mexican village.' Eli Wallach is memorable as Calvera, chief of the ruthless outlaws... He is greedy and merciless terrorizing without pity the poor peasants... Steve McQueen gives a standout performance as the sardonic gunman ('We deal in lead, friend'), carrying appealing ease and sense of humor to his role as Vin, Brynner's first recruit and second-in-command...

Charles Bronson portrays Bernardo O'Reilly, who explains his curious name to Chris, with 'Mexican on one side, Irish on the otherand me in the middle!' Bronson, the strongest face in Western, and with a bit of Mexican in himcunning face, steady eyes, revealing voicethe character of Bernardo O'Reilly suits him perfectly... This half-breed gunfighter becomes the conscience of the team... Because of his tender paternal instincts, he is adopted by three children who promise him, in case he falls, to bring him, every day, fresh flowers... Robert Vaughnwho was to do nicely on TV in "The Man from Uncle" spy spoof plays Lee, the 'good gun' with black gloves and nightmares, living in style with no enemies alive... Brad Dexter plays Harry Luck, Brynner's happy friend who returns to join the team convinced of the existence of a large amount of hidden gold... James Coburn makes a big impression as Britt, the expert gunman who can out-draw a gun with his knife-throwing... His looks and vague figure of violence are quite a response for his few talks...

Horst Bucholz represents youth, eagerness, and the urge to be proved and sorted out from the boys... He was caught on the road by Rosenda Monteros... Robert J. Wilke is Britt's insisting challenger who swells the ranks of the villains in many Westerns like "High Noon," "The Far Country," and "Man of the West." The Magnificent Seven's success spawned three sequels: "Return of the Seven" (again starring Yul Brynner), "Guns of the Magnificent Seven" and, last and least of all, "The Magnificent Seven Ride." With a terrific Oscar-Nominated Musical Score by Elmer Bernstein, "The Magnificent Seven" remains a richly enjoyable Western, shot on location in Morelos state, Mexico... Was the above review useful to you?

44 out of 53 people found the following review useful: Interesting differences from the Japanese version from Colorado 14 February 2003 I've seen both the American and Japanese versions many times, and while everyone agrees about which one is better, the American version has some virtues: 1) Our heroes are selected by the farmers when they defend a dead Indian's right to be buried in the same place as white people; therefore they are seen as champions of social and racial equality by the farmers. 2) A magnificent villain played by Eli Wallach. 3) Charlie Bronson's relationship with the village boys. And some tremendous faults: 1) Combining the Young Student and Crazy Fool characters; some of the most poignant scenes in the Japanese version involved the interaction between these two. 2) Not filming the final battle in the rain. And of course many more of each. It's an interesting discussion. Both are great movies that shouldn't be missed. Remember that Kurosawa gave John Sturges a sword in appreciation after seeing his film. Was the above review useful to you? 48 out of 64 people found the following review useful: A Great Western!!

from Willoughby, OH, USA 11 April 2003 I first saw this film about 20 years ago as a teenager and I still find it as enjoyable now as I did then. It is the tale of seven gunfighters who are hired by a poor Mexican farming community to help drive off the bandits who periodically show up and steal the communities food and goods. Of the Magnificent Seven most of the screen time is given to Chris (Brynner), Vin (McQueen) and Chico (Bucholz). While no details are given about the individual pasts of the Magnificent Seven it is fairly clear what there pasts may have been. 1. Chris: A leader, perhaps a former soldier, who has encountered danger before and gained a degree of mastery over his emotions in dangerous situation. 2. Vin: A capable man with a gun, perhaps a one time cowboy. He seems to be comfortable working as a loner but clearly would like to one day settle down. 3. Chico: The youngest of the Seven and most inexperienced. He wants to shed his farming past and attempts through acts of bravado to persuade others and himself that he is a gunfighter at heart. 4.

Bernardo (Bronson): A strong solitary man that in many ways resembles Chris although not displaying the desire to lead. In many ways he is the most interesting character. He has made quite a bit of money in the past even though he is now broke. The attention he gives to the local village children and the gift he gives a village girl hint at the idea that while he is good at gunfighting he knows that it is a good family life that is important. 5. Lee (Vaughn): The most difficult character to relate to. He appears to be a gunman who in the past was cocky, arrogant and self assured but now after experiencing life on the run now doubts himself. He wants to do the right thing but finds it difficult to step up to the plate when it's his turn. 6. Britt (Coburn): A loner who is unequaled in a gun or knife fight. A man whose motives remain his own. 7. Harry (Dexter): A good man to have in a fight but one who lets greed cloud his every decision. It would seem that Harry is one of those individuals who is always one step away from gaining riches but somehow never gains them.

The leader of the bandits is Calvera (Walsh) who is not an unlikeable fellow. He appears to believe that it is his job to steal so that he can support himself and his men. For him it is only a job, not unlike the farmers who work the land to provide for their families. He has what can almost be describes as a code of ethics for those who make their living with guns. This code of ethics is evident in the way he treats the Magnificent Seven towards the end of the film. However, given the films ending, this code does not seem to be shared by the Magnificent Seven Lastly, while many people may view this film as a western action film I think there is quite a bit of underlying humanity and character depth woven into the story. It is these underlying characteristics that distinguish it from the average western action flick and have helped to make this film as popular as it is. Was the above review useful to you? 46 out of 61 people found the following review useful: Well done remake of Kurosawa's classic. from Toronto, Ontario, Canada 6 July 2003 SEVEN is one of the better Westerns to come out for the aging genre.

Also, for any genre, it has much better characterization; from the cowboys, to the farmers, and even the outlaws themselves, everyone gets their own fair share of camera time to make MAGNIFICENT SEVEN a classic in its own right. Outlaws steal from a small Mexican farming town every once in awhile. Since the authorities do nothing, the farmers enlist the aid of seven gunmen to solve their problem. Compared to THE SEVEN SAMURAI, I would have to say MAGNIFICENT is less dark and reflective. An outlaw such as Calvera is hard to hate seeing him as a character on screen. Also, a better motive to explain why the outlaws continue their attack on the village is shown here, as opposed to Kurosawa's classic, where the raiders relentlessly never gave up, not once thinking (or admitting) the village is well fortified and they were not going to win. The scene and spirit of the old west, combined with the philosophies of the far east, have made a fine movie. Was the above review useful to you? 41 out of 52 people found the following review useful: A brilliant classic, beautifully scored, shot and acted.

13 September 2002 A wonderful classic beautifully scored and shot. There are so many moody looks between characters, and little movements or idiosyncrasies that just make each of the gunmen seem so real. Apparently, there were big egos behind the camera that caused these acts of showmanship, but unlike most films where the egos clash, here they just build the characters up without harming them. Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen are just wonderful, and James Coburn and Charles Bronson both put in equal performances. There's just nothing about this film that you can fault, the script is kept light when required and the stunning score lifts up and the acting is huge but never too much. This is a must see again and again. Was the above review useful to you? 47 out of 64 people found the following review useful: A classic all right from Sydney, Australia 11 July 2004 Re-make are seldom as good as the original, but here Hollywood or rather John Sturges managed to capture some of the spirit of Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai' which itself owes something to the 'Three Musketeers' and which Sturges duly acknowledged in the credits.

Partly this is due to some inspired casting. With the exception of Yul Brynner, none of the actors was particularly well known at the time. Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Eli Wallach and Horst Buchholz (an unlikely Mexican) all went on to successful acting careers. The format of this film was replicated in many later films. The plot couldn't be simpler. Desperate Mexican villagers, bled white by local bandits, retain a group of almost equally desperate gunslingers from the other side of the Rio Grand to deal with the bandits. A lot of the fun arises early on as leader Cajun Chris seeks out half a dozen suitably deranged but deadly types for the job. Ostensibly they are doing it for the money but it becomes apparent early on that they are really on the team just for the hell of it. Once they are together things don't quite go to plan, but the camaraderie holds up, and their mission is accomplished, though at considerable cost. Despite all the action it is a character-driven piece in some ways.

Eli Wallach's Calvera the bandit leader is more than a cardboard cut-out villain and Yul Brynner's enigmatic Chris keeps us guessing. The villagers, despite their matching white smocks, are not all lily-white and each of the Seven has at least one interesting weakness. A strong feature of the film is the music, penned by the ubiquitous Elmer Bernstein, and entirely appropriate, with a main theme which seems to be permanently welded into my brain. 'The Magnificent Seven' was made at a time when the appetite for westerns was going into decline. Whereas westerns were staple film and TV fare in the 50's, the sixties saw a sharp decline, as spy dramas and sex farces burgeoned. One interesting theory I've heard about this is that it's not so much that the audience tired of westerns, but that TV executives discovered that they were being watched by the people too poor to buy their sponsor's fine products. Anyway this film holds up very well after 45 years, a true classic and satisfying to watch. Was the above review useful to you?

Page 1 of 27: Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer (L) and contributing writer Todd Garbarini with Robert Vaughn, who is holding both his recently-published memoir and an ultra-rare promotional brochure for The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (Photo copyright: Mark Yuknevitch) By Lee Pfeiffer On Saturday May 23, actor Robert Vaughn appeared at The Film Society of Lincoln Center's tribute to Steve McQueen, introducing a screening of John Sturges' 1960 classic The Magnificent Seven. Hundreds of classic movie lovers gave Vaughn an enthusiastic greeting, as he reflected on the making of the film in his introduction. He quipped that he got the gig by default because he's the last remaining member of the legendary "Seven". Vaughn recalled how Sturges cast him after seeing the 27 year-old actor's Oscar-nominated performance in The Young Philadelphians.Sturges then asked him if he knew a "Gary Cooper-type" to play the part of Britt, the knife-thrower. Vaughn instantly recommended his college buddy James Coburn, who was then destitute and living in New York.

Coburn had to borrow the plane fare from his parents to meet with Sturges, but he and Vaughn remained lifelong friends - and Coburn was always grateful that Vaughn jump-started his big screen career. Vaughn said he recently ran into the other major surviving cast member, Eli Wallach, who played the bandit leader Calvera. The two remembered an amusing aspect of the filming: the presence on the set of a well-known Mexican film director who was employed to do translating to the crew and supporting actors. He said the man's career had only been marginally impacted by the fact that, after a Mexican film critic gave a pan review to one of his films, he killed the critic! Vaughn said that, even from an actor's standpoint, that reaction was a bit extreme for a critic. Following the introduction, Vaughn sat next to Neile McQueen, Steve's first wife, to view the movie on the big screen for the first time since 1960. The print was the best I have seen on a theater screen and the appreciative audience applauded at virtually every name on the opening credits.

(You know you are in a sophisticated crowd when composer Elmer Bernstein's name gets as much applause as the stars!). After the movie, I caught up with Vaughn, who is a long-time supporter and conributor to Cinema Retro. At one point, Chad McQueen, Steve's son, introduced himself to Vaughn, who had not seen him since he was a young boy. Vaughn chatted with numerous fans and signed countless autographs, but managed to inform me that his smash hit British show Hustle has been renewed for two more years and that he will be leaving for the UK in July to resume filming the new season. I then returned to him a prized personal possession that he had loaned to Cinema Retro for reproduction in a future issue: the original NBC promotional brochure for The Man From U.N.C.L.E. which was then under its working title Solo.He said he's still amazed at the continued popularity of the show - a fact evidenced by a fan who asked him to sign his autograph as "Napoleon Solo"!

( Click here to order Robert Vaughn's book, A Fortunate Life from Amazon) Detail view of Movies Page Summary: When ruthless bandit leader Calvera and his forty men raid the Mexican village of Ixcatlan for food and goods, the villagers, used to Calvera's harvest-time plundering, keep quiet with the exception of one outraged farmer, whom Calvera summarily shoots. After the banditos leave, the villagers, barely able to survive on what remains but unable to fight the banditos, seek the advice of the old man, a village elder, who tells them to buys guns at the border and learn how to use them. When the three-man delegation from Ixcatlan led by Hilario arrives at a border town to buy guns, they are awed by gunslingers Chris and Vin, who offer to drive a carriage carrying the body of an Indian through town when the funeral director refuses to transport it for fear of the bigoted citizens’ reprisals. After witnessing Chris and Vin easily outdraw the angered townsmen as they make their way to the graveyard, the delegation asks Chris to buy guns for them, explaining that the Mexican rurales cannot guard the village from Calvera's repeated plundering.

Chris instead offers to round up a team of gunmen, even though the villagers can only afford to pay $20 pay for six weeks’ work. As word spreads, young, impetuous Chico, inspired by Vin and Chris’s triumphant carriage ride, asks for the job, but is humiliated when he fails Chris's test to determine if Chico is a quick draw. Soon after, jovial gold hunter Harry Luck, assuming that there must be some hidden treasure which the other gunslingers will split, joins the team, as well as Vin and the brawny war veteran O'Reilly. The next day, Chris watches as expert knife-thrower and gunslinger Britt easily wins a draw with a deadly knife throw and considers him for the team. At a bar that night, an enraged Chico holds Chris at gunpoint and orders him to draw, but Chris quietly refuses the challenge until the boy collapses from drunkenness. Soon after Britt joins the group, the well-dressed but destitute Lee offers his services in attempt to regain his nerve, which he has lost while on the run from his enemies.

Days later, as the delegation, joined by the six gunslingers, rides toward Ixcatlan, they notice Chico following and Chris, softened by the young man's resolve, finally motions for him to join them. When they are greeted with silence as they enter the village, Chris accepts the villagers' fearful reluctance, but Chico angrily rages at them for their cowardice. The next day, the seven attend a town celebration and notice that all the village women are missing. Soon after, Chris learns that three of Calvera's men are nearby and sends Britt and Lee to bring the men back alive. However, Chico ruins the plan by shooting one of the banditos, forcing Britt to kill the second and third men, who were fast escaping on horseback. When an amazed Chico compliments him on his long-distance shot, an irritated Britt tells him that it was “the worst. I was aiming for the horse.” Later at the village, Chris observes that Calvera probably sent the men ahead to scout for the coming raid and reassures the villagers that they will have time to train before Calvera’s men arrive in force. Over several days, the seven use the dead men’s weapons to coach the farmers in how to shoot.

One afternoon, Chico catches the strident young Petra, who is spying on him as he tests his bullfighting skills against a tame farm animal, and learns that the villagers have hidden their women for fear of the gunslingers raping them. After warning the village men that the women have more to fear from Calvera than from the gunslingers, Chris orders Chico to bring the women back. That night Petra and others petulantly serve the men food, but when the seven learn the village is starving on a few meager beans, they give their servings away. The next day, after the boys on guard signal that the enemy is approaching, Chris, Britt and Vin stand in the middle of town to meet Calvera, who does not flinch at finding gunslingers there. Instead, he offers to share the village spoils with the seven in exchange for standing down, but when Chris orders him to "ride on,” a gunfight erupts. Unprepared for the onslaught, Calvera and his men try to escape but are trapped by newly built nets and rock walls erected by the villagers, thus enabling the villagers and gunslingers to pick off many of the banditos.

That night, as the mild-mannered Sotero and other villagers toast the seven on their success, shots interrupt the jubilant occasion, forcing Chris to send O'Reilly, Vin and Sotero to track the sharpshooters. While searching for the men, Sotero tells Vin that he is committed to protecting his family, and Vin openly envies Sotero’s bond with his family, which neither he nor the other six have. Meanwhile, disobeying her father's orders against talking to the gunslingers, a love-struck Petra begs Chico to be careful. Later that night, Chico, wanting to prove himself to the others, touts the gunslinger lifestyle as the stuff of legends. While Chris reminds them, as hired gunmen, they are beholden to no one, Vin laments that he has no family and Lee adds that they have no enemies, because they are dead. When Lee awakens screaming from a nightmare about his enemies, two villagers reassure him that "only the dead are without fear." Meanwhile, three young boys adopt the Mexican-Irish O'Reilly, promising that they will avenge his death and put flowers on his grave if he should die in battle.

Harry is convinced that the villagers must be hiding ancient treasure, which is rumored to be buried in the nearby mountains. Believing that this is the real reason for Calvera’s return, Harry tries to entreat the village men into gambling. Meanwhile, Chico, hiding his face under a sombrero, infiltrates the Calvera camp and surprises the six when he reports back that Calvera will attack soon because his men are starving. The villagers fight among themselves about whether to surrender to save their families, while Chris argues with his men about their chance of success. Later, Chico boasts to Petra about his new life as a roving gunslinger, but his resolve quickly weakens as she kisses him. That evening, after Chris and his men find the Calvera camp empty when they attempt to steal their horses, the seven return to the village and are immediately surrounded by Calvera's men, who have been tipped off by the cowardly Sotero. Although he could easily kill them, Calvera decides to spare their lives to avoid alerting the United States police to his operation.

After publicly ordering them to leave their guns, Calvera quietly offers to return the weapons once the seven are out of town and asks why they became involved with the villagers, unable to believe the gunslingers would have any motivation other than money. As he lays down his gun, Vin cryptically explains with a joke: When someone asked a man why he threw himself into a prickly pear cactus, the man simply replied that it “seemed to be a good idea at the time.” Before the seven leave, O'Reilly explains to his boys that they should respect their fathers, who are brave to carry the burden of family responsibility, something O'Reilly has never had the courage to do. That night, after the seven are escorted out of town and given their guns, Chico explodes in anger about the villagers’ betrayal, but Chris reminds him that his hatred stems from being the son of just such a Mexican villager. The next day, after Harry, tired of fighting without the hope of riches, leaves the group, the remaining six ride into town and begin a shootout with the banditos. Wounded, Vin drags himself into a store, while Harry, having changed his mind, rides into town and is shot.

Following Vin, Chris drags Harry into the store, where he soothes the dying man with a story of imaginary riches. Meanwhile, Lee finally draws and shoots four of Calvera's men, but is then killed. Spurred by the seven's sacrifice, the villagers, including the women, come out of hiding and beat Calvera's men with every chair and stick available. Meanwhile, Chris wounds Calvera, who, with his dying breath, continues to express his disbelief that the seven had any reason to return. After Britt takes out four banditos with perfectly aimed shots, he dies from a wound sustained in the battle. O'Reilly's boys find their hero, who begs them to emulate their fathers, then dies from a wound suffered before their young eyes. By the end of the battle, the remaining banditos are finally driven from town, but the old man sagely announces to those remaining of the seven, Chris, Vin and Chico, that only the farmers have won. As they ride out of town, the astute Chris turns to Chico, tells him "adios” and watches as Chico returns to Petra, for whom he lays down his holster.

As they pause to look back on the village, Chris tells Vin that the old man was right, only the farmers have won, not the gunslingers, who will always lose. Production Company: Veterans Note: As noted in the opening credits, The Magnificent Seven was based on a 1954 Japanese film entitled The Seven Samurai , produced by Toho Company, Ltd. The now classic film was directed by Akira Kurosawa, who stated that his film was inspired by American Westerns. According to a 17 Oct 1958 DV news item, Yul Brynner registered the title The Magnificent Six when he believed one of the principals would be dropped from the film. As supported by contemporary news items and described in the documentary Guns for Hire: The Making of ‘The Magnificent Seven’ , which was included on the 2001 DVD edition of the film, by May 1958 Brynner’s Alciona Productions, Inc. had secured the rights to The Seven Samurai and announced that Brynner was to star in the film and United Artists would distribute it.

A 22 Aug 1958 DV news item stated that producer Lou Morheim was to co-produce the film, while in the documentary, Morheim claimed that he had originally optioned the rights to The Seven Samurai and had asked actor Anthony Quinn to star. By Feb 1959, contemporary news items had reported that Quinn was on board and Brynner was set to direct, while Walter Bernstein was signed to write the screenplay and Clark Gable, Stewart Granger and Anthony Franciosa were being considered for lead roles. In Apr 1959, Martin Ritt became the director, replacing Brynner, who took the lead role, according to a LAT news item, which also noted that Glenn Ford had agreed to appear in the picture. By Aug 1959, Brynner had sold the project to The Mirisch Company, who in turn hired Walter Newman to write the screenplay and arranged to co-produce the film with Alpha Productions, John Sturges’ company. The Magnificent Seven was Sturges’ first credit as a producer, the first film for Alpha Productions and the first collaboration between Alpha and The Mirisch Company, a partnership which led to many co-ventures.

By Dec 1959, Dean Jones was considered for a role and executive producer Walter Mirisch had hired Steve McQueen, an actor already known for his role in the 1958—1961 television series Wanted Dead or Alive . In the documentary, McQueen’s then wife, Neile Adams, stated that McQueen faked a car accident in order to gain time off the series to do the film. Sturges’ final cast selections were complicated by the Screen Actors Guild strike, which ran from 7 Mar to 18 Apr 1960. According to a 4 Feb 1960 HR news item, Mirisch-Alpha sought a court agreement with Morheim to exclude him from the project, but provide compensation amounting to five percent of the film’s profits and a $10,000 salary. A 2 Mar 1960 DV article stated that, after Sturges demanded sole producer credit, Morheim sued Mirisch and UA for onscreen credit and to be able to participate in the film.

By 23 Aug 1960, HR reported that an out of court settlement had been reached in which Morheim was given financial compensation and an “associate producer” credit, but excluded from participation. According to a 3 Feb 1960 HR news item, Quinn sued Alciona and Brynner over being excluded from the project, to which he claimed he had already contributed and in which he was supposed to star. Quinn lost the suit, but in 1964 filed suit against UA, Mirisch and Alpha Productions. The outcome of that suit is unknown. Writer Newman was not credited onscreen, and a modern source claims that he was so unhappy that William Roberts was hired to doctor his script on location in Mexico that he insisted on having his name removed from the credits. According to a 10 Apr 1960 NYT article, Mirisch-Alpha budgeted $2,000,000 for the film, which began shooting on 29 Feb 1960, and shot on two village sets built by art director Edward FitzGerald, one in Tepoztlan, Mexico and the other in Oacalco, Mexico.

All interior shooting took place at Estudios Churubusco in Mexico City. The article also noted that the village chapel was made of pâpier maché and adorned with two fake pigeons to encourage others to nest there and make the structure appear authentic. An international group of actors fleshed out the cast. Horst Buchholz, a German, made his American film debut as the Mexican “Chico.” The role, according to the 10 Apr 1960 NYT article, was created to appease the Mexican government, by placing a Mexican character as one of the seven. Mexican actor Rosenda Monteros made her American film debut in the The Magnificent Seven . Prominent cinematographer John Alonzo (1934--2001), who began his career as an actor, made his feature film debut in The Magnificent Seven , credited onscreen as "John Alonso." Jan, Feb and Mar 1960 HR news items add David Renard, Joe Ruskin, Larry Duran, Chuck Hayward and Beatriz Flores Castro to the cast; however, their appearance in the film has not been confirmed.

According to interviews in Guns for Hire , the presence of a Mexican censor on the production caused tension and ensured some scene changes. A 20 May 1960 NYT article confirmed that one required change was that character of the “old man” was not to advise the villagers to hire gunmen. The revised script, instead, has the old man suggest that the villagers buy guns and defend their town to the death and then has the villagers vainly try to buy them at the border, until “Chris” suggests they hire gunmen instead. The Mirisch Company produced and UA distributed three sequels to the film: 1966’s Return of the Seven (see below) starring Yul Brynner and Robert Fuller and directed by Burt Kennedy; 1969’s Guns of the Magnificent Seven (see above) starring George Kennedy and James Whitmore and directed by Paul Wendkos and the 1972 production The Magnificent Seven Ride! (see below), starring Lee Van Cleef and Stefanie Powers and directed by George McCowan. In addition, M-G-M produced a 1998-2000 television series starring Michael Biehn and Eric Close, with guest star appearances by Robert Vaughn.

Many contemporary reviews of the film were not supportive, including the NYT , which stated that the film was “a pallid, pretentious and overlong reflection of the Japanese original.” According to the documentary, UA later rereleased The Magnificent Seven with better results; however, box-office results of this rerelease have not been determined. Over the years, many critics and film historians have come to rank the film as one of the best Westerns of all time. Elmer Bernstein’s stirring score was nominated for an Academy Award, but lost to Exodus (see above). The theme reached iconographic status with fans and film music historians and was made popular through its use in radio and television advertising for Marlboro Cigarettes, which, as noted in a 24 May 1966 NYT article, bought the rights to the theme from UA. In Jun 2006, the Weinstein Co. announced that it was in negotiations to remake Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai , with Zhang Ziyi being considered to star. Bibliographic Sources:

Question: What was the name of the knife thrower played by James Coburn in The Magnificent Seven (one word)
Answer: Britt